The Black Notebook
by Midnightscreamer
Summary: Yugi finds a notebook in the park and begins to write things in it. Little does he know that someone else can see and reply to whatever he's written! This leads him into an adventure, with danger at every turn! A/U Not Yaoi. Rated T. COMPLETE!
1. The Finding

**A big thanks to my beta Maggie,(.net/u/1999607/Mahersal)for editting this. **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

_Rinnnnng!_

_The lunch bell, finally!_ Yugi sighed. He couldn't bear another word from his teacher who gave too many lectures.

"Surprise!" A blonde haired guy, who was much taller than Yugi, yelled as he sprang in front of him. Yugi jumped at the sudden burst of excitement, and then he realized that it was only his best pal, Joey Wheeler.

"Argh! Joey! Jeez, one day your going to give me a heart attack!" Yugi said as shook his head. After all those years of being alone, he was happy that he now had a friend with him, even if that certain friend did scare the life out of him.

Joey laughed.

Yugi stepped in front of his locker and began to enter the combination on his lock. The lock clicked open.

"Hurry up, Yuge, I'm hungry!" Joey complained as Yugi slowly bent over his backpack. A growling noise came over them. Yugi turned to Joey.

"Is that your stomach?" He asked, wondering how on earth someone's tummy could be so loud.

"Yep! Now hurry up!" Joey said, putting both hands to his mid- section and groaning.

Yugi waved his hand at his friend and nodded, putting his math book away. The lock clicked shut and he and Joey descended the hallway to the cafeteria.

"Let's go," Joey said rubbing his stomach.

* * *

Tea and Tristan, Joey and Yugi's other friends, had met up with them at their usual lunch table. As Yugi sat down, he smiled at his friends, glad he had finally stood up for himself and asked Tristan and Joey to stop bullying him. Tea was also beside him in the whole 'stop the bullying' business, and it didn't hurt that she wasn't afraid to get in guy's faces.

Tea pulled out a ham and cheese sandwich, frowning slightly that this was the third time that week she had ham. Tristan laughed, but his smile faded as he pulled out a can of cold soup…for the third time this week. Yugi and Joey sniggered at their friend's lunches. They usually just ate whatever the school cafeteria had. But unfortunately, for them, today's lunch special was rice with a side of steamed veggies. In the best lunch contest, they all lost. The whole gang chatted and laughed lightly about what had happened at the mall last night, which had turned out to be quite an interesting adventure.

When they all finished eating, Yugi and Joey went outside since they had a finished lunch early and had ten minutes left. They left Tea and Tristan, who needed to finish some homework that the "stupid, dumb, idiot of a teacher"gave them, according to Tristan.

Joey flinched at the sudden sunlight as they walked through the doors.

"Whoa, it's sure bright today," he shielded his eyes with the palm of his hand.

Yugi nodded. "Sure is."

They left the school campus and walked up a hill, which led them to a small park about three blocks away. The park consisted of two swings, a set of monkey bars, a flying fox, one miniature slide, and a rusty fireman's pole. Joey and Yugi looked at each other and immediately ran for the swings. As Yugi laughed, his mind flipping to the quote, "Great minds think alike." His laughter was ceased when a sudden voice shouted a familiar name.

"Hey! Wheeler! I have unfinished business with you!" A buff, dark skinned man with a white tank top and a pair of ripped jeans yelled as he approached them, eyeing the swings with a '_you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me'_ look.

Yugi stopped swinging, gawking at the size of the male. Joey simply sighed and rolled his eyes, nodding at the newcomer. The man got the message and walked off toward one of the infamous dark alleyways of Domino.

"Yugi, stay here." His brown eyes filled with a sudden seriousness. "I'll be right back."

Yugi shook his head. "No, Joey, you can't-"

"Listen, Yugi. I'm fine, just... stay here." Joey insisted, then ran off in the direction of the man.

Yugi stared after Joey. Should he help his friend? Of course he should, but his stupid nerves held him back. Frustrated, Yugi kicked at the ground and gazed at the grass in front of him. Something was sparkling and it wasn't Edward Cullen from '_Twilight'_. Yugi tilted his head and began to walk towards it, nerves forgotten and curiosity taken over. He followed the glimmer, growing closer and closer to it.

Yugi blinked, spotting a black notebook with a plastic steal, and the words "My Journal" sprawled in handwriting laying on the grass. He forced his eyes away from the notebook, looking around to see if anybody noticed it. The park was empty besides a few chattering squirrels. No one seemed to be looking for it. Yugi looked back at the notebook.

_Surely, there must be a name somewhere on it. _He thought.

Yugi picked up the book and opened it. Nothing was written on the inside cover or the first page. He flipped quickly though, expecting to find something.

The whole journal was blank. This was _weird_. Who left a notebook in a park with nothing written in it?

"Hey, Yuge! I was wondering where you went." Joey's voice came for behind. Yugi suddenly felt no one should know of his find and quickly threw the notebook into a nearby bush.

"Sorry, I was bored." Yugi said, trying to act as natural as possible. A faint ringing sound filled the park.

"Is that the bell? I can't believe lunch is over already." Joey said, frowning. Yugi shrugged, falling into step with Joey on the way back to school.

The last two periods of the day flew by. Yugi didn't have a clue what the lessons were about, nor did he really care. All he could think about was that black notebook. He almost had a panic attack when the final bell rang. He eagerly gathered his stuff and ran to his locker. With papers flying out of his backpack and after explaining that he had to 'do something important' to his friends, he ran out of the school, to the park, hoping the notebook was still in the bush that he hid it in. Clasping the smooth outer layer of the notebook, he once again read the words, "My Journal" as he lifted it from the bush. He sat in the soft grass and opening the front cover, Yugi took out a blue pen from his bag and wrote:

_My name is Yugi. _

He smiled at the cheesy beginning, but was a start. His smile turned to a frown when his writing disappeared. Yugi gasped. The blue ink had faded into the paper and something else had taken its place.

_My name is Atem._


	2. Peculiar Things

Yugi stared at the black notebook. The words stared back at flipped through it to see if they leaked through or…he just couldn't comprehend what just happened. Things like this don't happen. Sure, Yugi believed in magic, considering all of the games he played, but stuff like that didn't happen in the real world. His mind just wouldn't accept it. It was unbelievable.

_This can't be happening_, he thought. He looked back at the writing for proof of this fact, but the text was still there. He tilted his head to the side and sighed. This was far to advanced for any practical joke. He glanced around the park to make sure no one was watching. His gut told him that no one should know about this unless something serious happened. When he felt safe enough, he picked up his pen, only to drop it in surprise. The writing was gone!

"What?" Yugi quickly flipped through the pages, seeing if the ink leaked into the other sheets. Nothing. "Where did it go?" he pondered aloud. A sudden stillness passed over him, the park being unusually quiet. What if he really wasn't alone? He bent over and retrieved his fallen pen, crouching over the little book protectively, as if it was something super important. He swiftly scribbled something down and stared at his words.

_How is this possible? _

Yugi's handwriting filled the light blue line. He stared down at the line, expecting fireworks and magical things to happen, but nothing did. The text didn't even change like it had before. He blinked, confused. How could something happen and then not happen? Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. Maybe he didn't get enough sleep last night. Yugi shook his head back and forth rapidly and looked back at the notebook. His words were mocking him now. People were going to think he was crazy, thinking that someone was writing back to him from a journal. Things like that only happened in Harry Potter, and he honestly hoped that it wasn't a spirit writing to him. That would be the only thing that would make this situation any weirder.

He squinted his eyes. Maybe they were the ones playing tricks, not his brain.

Nothing.

He felt his heart drop a little. Why was he hoping a complete stranger was going to answer him back? This was quite unusual for him. Sure, Yugi was a friendly person, but he would much rather meet people face-to-face. He couldn't believe he actually wanted Atem to reply. Suddenly, the text changed from Yugi's quite sloppy handwriting to a more sophisticated script.

_I don't know, Yugi__. A__ll I'm doing is writing in a white notebook._

White? Atem held a white notebook? White and black. Light and dark. Yin and Yang. Opposites. Yugi mulled this over, tapping the pen against his chin. Weird how the journals were the yin-yang colours…

_I'm writing from a black notebook. It's kinda odd how the journals are opposite colours. Any idea why?_

Yugi was hoping Atem would have some kind of answer. Yugi was a pretty smart kid and an excellent gamer, so why could he not come up with an answer? Maybe he could get some answers from Atem. But, much to his avail, it said the complete contrary of what he hoped.

_No, I'm sorry, Yugi. I haven't an inkling why. I only-_

The phrase stopped mid-sentence, Yugi's warning bells going off in his head. Something odd was happening. Something off. The stillness of the park nagged at his mind again, so he got up, grabbing his bag and the notebook, and retreated to the little creek that ran through the park. There was a perfect spot for him that he could hide; a little hang-over next to a tree that grew close to the edge. The tree helped conceal hang-over, and it was only big enough that a child could fit through.

Fortunately for Yugi, he was the size equivalent of a child.

As he settled himself down, eyes adjusting to the limited light, he looked down at the notebook again; Atem had written something else.

_I need help. __Can__ you help me?_

Well his warning bells were correct. Yugi bit his lip. Was Atem seriously asking a stranger for help? He didn't even know who Yugi was, let alone Yugi didn't know who Atem was! Besides, even if it was possible for Yugi to help, how could he? He closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe it was as simple as getting a little cat out of a tree, but even Yugi knew that he couldn't even help with that, since he was oh-so short. Moreover, Yugi knew deep inside that was not what Atem needed help with. Grunting, he scribbled his reply in messy letters.

_Depends. What do you need help with?_

Yugi didn't have to wait long for a reply.

_My father __told me__ something evil is after me. __I have not one clue as what it may be__. He gave me this journal__, telling me a second one is in hiding and only the one with a__ pure heart __may find it and answer. Others may not see the writing unless the holder wishes it so. He said that it was utterly important that the other notebook would find its rightful owner, and I could help it by writing my name over and over, guiding it toward the owner. He also said that once the owner was found and that their name was written in ink, I could trust no one but the person with the opposite notebook. So, naturally, I can only trust you. _

Yugi could've laughed. He almost started to, but Atem's writing seemed...serious. He almost swore that this was a coincidence. Yugi? A pure heart? Yugi shook his head and wrote a simple sentence.

_You trust a person you don't even know?_

The writing didn't fade, however. It just sat. The longer he gazed at his words, the older the journal looked. He blinked, and the journal became its new and pristine self again. This went on for fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes felt like an eternity. Yugi's watch ticked obnoxiously loud in the silence. In the stillness. He waited and waited. Had Atem received the message? Did he get it, but leave? The stillness and uncertainty crept over Yugi again, and he no longer felt safe in his little hidey-hole. He slung his bag over his shoulder and crawled out, feeling a bit better in the open. The park was still empty, and it was getting late. He closed the little book and kept it clenched tightly in his right hand. As he walked home, he started questioning the reliability of the notebook. What this thing even accurate? Did Atem receive the messages right after Yugi wrote them, or did it take a few minutes? Yugi sighed. So many questions and no answers. This was just perfect.

_Does it really take this long to reply to a simple question? _He wondered. With every step, the book got a bit heavier. It went from being as light as a feather to feeling like he was carrying a brick. Yugi's eyebrows scrunched up in concern as he glanced down at the little book. Something dark, wet, and sticky was heavily dripping on the sidewalk. Immediately he looked at his palms, they were covered in a red type of liquid. Quickly he flipped open to the middle of the book and gasped, shocked at the sudden realization.

The book was covered in blood.


	3. Dire Situations

Blood.

_Blood._

_BLOOD._

Yugi just couldn't tear his eyes away from the page. The crimson substance was spilling over the edge of the book, pooling at Yugi's feet. He felt faint. He wanted to drop the book, get the blood away from him, but he couldn't. The red licked at his fingers, beckoning him to drown in it.

Then something in black ink appeared on the page.

_Help me__,__ Yugi__!_

Yugi's eyes widened, recognizing the smooth script. Atem, as he said, was in trouble. The ink was swept away in the blood and another took its place, the words blurred and smudged.

_Yugi! Please help! My father__,__ he just got shot by some thief and I don't know what to do!_

Yugi was anxious now. He was holding a bleeding book, Atem was in trouble, and his feet were frozen to the ground. His first thought was that this was turning into a bad episode of CSI. His second was he needed to help Atem. He quickly he wrote a response.

_Tell me your address__,__ and I'll come._

Yugi wasn't really sure if he could go. It wasn't because his grandpa was out of town for two weeks-no, it was because he was scared. His gut was telling him he needed to tell someone of his situation, but he recalled Atem telling him that he shouldn't tell anyone of the notebook unless it's a dire situation.

_This is a **dire** situation. _A small part of his brain told him. His feet were suddenly unfrozen and he ran blindly back the other way to the park. His instincts took over, leading him to the swings where he was with Joey just a few hours ago. He quickly looked around the nearly empty park, and spotted a white-haired boy and a small build walking along the sandy path, his eyes downcast at the thick book he was holding. Yugi sighed in relief, the familiar face giving a small hope.

"Ryou!" Yugi yelled at the top of his lungs. The boy looked up suddenly and peered around, searching for the voice that called his name. He spotted Yugi and smiled. Yugi ran over to Ryou and almost slipped well doing so, but managed to keep his footing. Boy, the mud was sure slippery.

"Hello, Yugi, pleasure to-" Ryou began.

"Ryou, I need you to help me with something." Yugi said, feeling a little bit of guilty cutting Ryou off, but this was serious. He could imagine what his face looked like since Ryou looked worried beyond repair. "I need to show you something." Yugi handed the black book to the brown-eyed boy. Ryou dropped his other book and opened the book.

It was blank.

No blood, no writing, nothing. Yugi's worried expression changed to bewilderment. Just a second ago, the book was spilling blood.

_Others may not see the writing unless the holder wishes it so. _The words floated across Yugi's head.

"Reveal all." Yugi said suddenly.

Blood flooded across the pages and dripped off the sides. All the writing from his past conversation appeared as well. He would have thought that was cool if the blood didn't sicken him to his stomach.

"Oh my!" Ryou dropped the book on the ground, his face ghost white. "Yugi, where did you get such a book?"

Yugi explained how he found the notebook and how Atem wrote back.

"What a story!" Ryou said nervously.

Yugi nodded in agreement. "I know. Do you think you would be able to help me?"

Ryou eyed the book on the ground. "It stopped bleeding." He muttered to himself, talking as though the book really had blood. He looked back at Yugi, his soft brown eyes full of concern. "Yes, I will help you, Yugi."

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief and put his hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Thank you so much." He bent over and picked up the drying book, holding it gingerly. "Now all we need is for Atem to write us an address."

Ryou and Yugi waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Yugi's anxiety levels were through the roof. Why wasn't he writing an address? What happened? Was Atem okay? What is taking so long? Questions filled his mind, none of them answered. A very small part of him said to give up, but he smothered it. He would never give up. If someone needed help, he would answer.

'Course, he wasn't getting an answer.

He frowned.

"May I see the book?" Ryou asked. Yugi handed him the blood soaked notebook. Ryou flipped through the pages, pausing here and there to read something, and then stopped.

"Yugi, look at this." Ryou held the book so the two of them could see it clearly. Smack dab in the middle of the page were the words,

_In case of emergency, come to this address:1460_ Forth-Mount Drive, SW, Domino City.

"I think I found Atem's address," He said.

"1460 Forth-Mount Drive, SW, Domino City..." Yugi said, thinking. "I have no clue where that is." He sat down hard on the ground, feeling a bit defeated. "Do you know where it is?"

Ryou looked at the address then looked back at Yugi. "Yes, actually, I do. It's only a couple of blocks away from my apartment."

Yugi looked gratefully at his friend as he got up, a small hope filling his chest. He felt his lips curve into a smile.


	4. Just Looking

"There." Ryou pointed at a plain white house.

The building didn't look shabby, but it gave him the creeps. Couldn't strangers live in ginger bread houses made of candy? Then an evil witch would come out and eat them. Never mind.

The two made their way toward the tall white house. Yugi was shivering slightly, an ominous cold chilling him. Yugi's digital watch beeped five times, causing the both of them to jump. They laughed uneasily. As they walked up the stone steps, Ryou felt a sudden breeze. A cold breeze. He looked around, confused. The wind shouldn't have been blowing, as it was a hot day. That was certainly odd.

Yugi poked the doorbell, Ryou humming along with the familiar tune it played. The two waited, but nobody came. Yugi expected this, and reached for the gold, old-fashioned doorknob. To his surprise, it opened.

"C'mon." Yugi whispered. He didn't know what danger was on the other side and did not want to make his presence known. Ryou nodded and followed Yugi inside. To their right was a giant oak staircase and facing them was an old grandfather clock. Yugi raised his eyebrows at this. It was the wrong time, the clock reading 12:00.

Both of them took in the view and began to walk deeper inside the house. Behind the grandfather clock was a narrow hallway, squishing Yugi and Ryou in the tiny space. This was very awkward. Slowly, they moved into a big kitchen, an ugly lime green paint splattered on the wall. Cherry Oakwood cabinets lined the walls and the counter tops were neatly polished. Everything seemed so...neat. Nothing was on the floor, everything was organized, and everything was put in a specific space.

To their right was a living room, a nice cherry blossom pink coat covering the walls. A simple floral pattern was stitched into the fibers of the couch and the carpet was a deep green wash. Ryou eyed the fifty-two inch flat screen television before glancing back at Yugi. "Yugi, nothing seems to be wrong…" he trailed off, puzzled at Yugi's shocked appearance. "Are you okay?"

Yugi shook his head back and forth in a quick snapping motion. Ryou tilted his head, confused about his friend's actions. He followed Yugi's pointed finger to the carpet. Right in front of them was a dead man. Ryou flinched and gasped at the sight. The man's eyes were wide, a grey murky glassed look spread over them. Blood covered the bulk of his stomach. The most peculiar sight of this was the object that killed him. It wasn't a bullet or knife- it was an arrow.

Yugi began to hyperventilate and Ryou began to sweat. _Was this Atem's father?_

Ryou didn't want Yugi to pass out, so he tugged on the smaller boy's sleeve. "We sh-should get going." Yugi stumbled after him and was glad he was out of the living room. His mind began to clear of the smell, he hated blood.

They got back to the kitchen and took a few minutes to collect themselves.

"I'm going to check upstairs for Atem." Ryou told Yugi. Yugi just nodded. As the white-haired boy walked out of the room, Yugi peered around the kitchen, making sure there were no dead bodies in this room as well. He opened up a few cabinets and checked under the table. So far so good. As he turned towards the kitchen sink, he heard footsteps behind him; he didn't turn around since he guessed it was Ryou returning to tell him if anything was upstairs.

So Yugi jumped when a harsh voice totally unlike Ryou's said, "Now, now, now...how did you manage to escape?"


	5. The Twin

Yugi froze.

"Now, now, now. Aren't you a sneaky young prince?" The voice spoke again.

_Prince?_

Yugi was a lot of things: small, nice, easy-going. _"P__rince__" _didn't fall in that category. Yugi cautiously turned around. A few feet in front of him stood a man with white hair styled almost exactly like Ryou's except it was wilder looking, unlike Ryou's neatly groomed white locks. A giant scar bore through his left eye. His eyes were his most piercing feature. At first they looked brown, but when he moved they glinted red. Once Yugi swore he saw the irises change to a deep lavender, but that sounded crazy. The man was on the taller side, maybe five foot seven, and he was ripped. He wore a long red coat, it was almost like a robe. Gold streamed the edges of the fabric, underneath the coat was a white tank top and shorts. A leather quiver was strapped around his waist, ten arrows sticking out of it. A bow was slung around his arm, the upper shaft resting on his bicep. Yugi was pretty sure that he couldn't take on this man and practically died right there.

The man had an evil smirk fixed on his harsh figured face, but as he looked at Yugi more closely, to Yugi's surprise, the smirk vanished. Poof. Gone. Nada. The expression that replaced his smirk was a mixture of shock and confusion. His eyebrows shot up above his white bangs and his eyes widened, the red glint having a purplish hue to them now.

"_Prince_? Have you shrunk?" The man inquired, trying to make sense of Yugi's appearance.

Yugi frowned and resisted the urge to roll his course the first thing out of the man's mouth would be a comment about his height. How typical. The man squinted at Yugi, a puzzled look scratched on his face. _Why did this man keep calling __me__ "Prince?" _Yugi's thoughts buzzed and bounced in his mind.

"And why do you look so... _different?" _The man was clearly confused, if not agitated as well. It didn't take the white-haired man long to shake off the shock. He simply shrugged and the evil smirk returned, shattering Yugi's hopes that he would leave.

"No matter. You won't escape this time…" The man's smile inched outward as he lifted his hands. He took a step closer to Yugi and Yugi took a step back, but his back was now against the counter. His amethyst eyes widened and in the pit of his stomach, fear bubbled, filling his small form with the feeling. It wasn't the simple kind of fear he felt when Joey and Tristan had bullied him. No, this kind of fear was much, much worse. It wasn't fear at all really; it was terror. Pure terror.

Yugi hoped Ryou would come down the stairs soon. Creaking above him told him his friend was unlikely to come down. As he thought about it though, Ryou needed to stay upstairs. If this white-haired man found out that another had come, who knew what he would do? Yugi closed his eyes and took a breath, opening them again when he exahaled. Why didn't he scream? Sure, easy to say, _scream,_ but...he couldn't bear to talk, let alone yell for his life. His voice was stuck, caught in his throat. Yugi felt his heart pump hard. It seemed as if it wanted to jump out of his chest. He crossed his arms and moved sideways against the counter. Something hard hit him in the side. Not human, but something normally he wouldn't think twice about.

A wall.

A dead end.

_His_ end.

"You're mine." The man whispered, his voice soaked with evil. Yugi couldn't move and he felt like an idiot to corner himself. He wanted to run, but he couldn't. Not to mention this man probably was much faster than him. The smirk on the man's face widened as he took a step back, cocking his head to the side.

"Is that fear I sense, Prince?" he asked amused. "Well I never thought you were one to be afraid."

Yugi closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them, the evil man's eyes were a dark shade of lavender with red rims. The man bared his teeth and slid his bow off his arm, nocking an arrow on the string. He pulled the string back and aimed it at Yugi's head.

"Goodbye, little Prince."

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and waited for pain.

"Bakura!" A brave, confident voice yelled.

Yugi's closed eyes popped open as he glanced around for the owner.

The white haired man lowered the bow and he glared at Yugi. "You're not the prince?" He whispered menacingly.

Yugi shook his head and the man threw his bow at the ground.

"You. Little. Liar." Saliva built up in 'Bakura''s mouth.

Yugi was now desperate to find the owner. He felt his breathing harden, his mind was spinning, heart pounding, everything was shaking…

A teenager ran into the kitchen and jumped dramatically on the kitchen table. He looked about five four, five five, and he just exuded confidence. His eyes were a shocking crimson with a hard, arrogant spark in them. He was thinner, but toned and had the strangest hair style. It looked kind of like a black starfish with red fringes and jagged golden bangs framing his face. A couple of the bangs didn't stay down and stood up, they giving the impression he had lightning bolts for hair. Most people would find this boy normal -besides his interesting hair- but Yugi didn't. Why?

Simply because this boy looked exactly like him.


	6. Games, Games, Games!

Yugi's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak, he couldn't move.

_How could someone look exactly like you, and not your twin?_

Bakura looked from Yugi to the other Yugi, seeming to be just as confused. His eyes were narrowed though, as if he didn't care if he killed one of them or both.

"Prince?" He asked, voice set in a questioning tone with a hint of malice in it. "Prince? Is that you?"

The red-eyed Yugi glared at the man. His eyes didn't appear to see anything else. "Yes it's me! Now let the boy go! It is not he you want!"

Yugi couldn't help but frown, annoyed that, yet again, someone referred to him as "boy." He was a high school student! Not some little boy! He sighed breathily. The prodding at his shortness and child-likeness was getting old. Many people called him tyke, or kid; but c'mon, he was a teenager, a young man! Not some silly child!

"Don't call me 'boy,'" Yugi muttered mostly to himself.

The other Yugi frowned slightly and Bakura looked at him and laughed icily. "You seem to be in a sticky situation, so you are in no position to be making threats, my little Prince." Yugi gulped.

The other Yugi's glare hardened, Yugi felt scared to look at him, even though the glare wasn't directed at him. Something told him that you did not want to mess with this guy. "I told you, Bakura, I can take you!"

Bakura tilted his head. "Is that so?" He crossed his tanned arms and smirked. "Then why not fight me now?"

Yugi could've sworn he heard the other Yugi growl under his breath. "You know I can't do that." He muttered back, eyes sharp and cold. Bakura seemed smug, too smug.

"And why not?" He asked, kindly but with a hint of evil soaked in. Yugi was now sure the other him was growling.

"You. Have. My. Puzzle." He grunted through his teeth.

Yugi blinked. This was all over a puzzle?

"Correct, now," He put a finger on his chin tapping it, as if pretending to forget something. "What was it I threatened to do?"

The other Yugi looked at Bakura with the most bitter glare yet. "Break. It."

Bakura began to clap. "Very good little Prince!" He smiled, but it was not a pleasant sight. "I see someone's been listening."

The other Yugi was grinding his teeth now. The sound echoed through Yugi's little ear drums. Bakura picked up a small glass vase and began to examine it.

"My aibou, Yugi, will soon come, and then justice will be served!"

Yugi couldn't help but to gasp. How did the prince know his...?

Wait a minute.

Was that Atem?

Prince was _ATEM_?

Yugi gasped loudly at the realization. Both Bakura and the Prince spared a glance over at him. The prince's glare lightened almost instantly, noticing that the boy he was referring to looked almost exactly like him. The minute he looked at Yugi, something clicked.

"I- Yugi!" He managed.

Bakura let out a loud, unimpassioned laugh. "This little brat is here to help you?" His smirk widened as a dark chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, what a little surprise you got Prince."

The Prince's piercing eyes stayed on Yugi. Yugi had to try from looking down at his feet. The crimson orbs were kind, but very disappointed. Yugi could sense that Atem had thought Yugi was...taller. Yugi couldn't take it anymore and he lowered his head in shame.

"Yugi," Atem's voice was soaked with kindness, but something about his tone was a bit off as an all-knowing smile crept across his face. Yugi looked up to crimson-coloured eyes, a bit concerned with what he was planning. "Do you like games?"

Yugi had to keep his mouth from falling open. Of all things in the world to say at that crucial moment, Atem had asked that? Bakura's eyes bored into Yugi as Yugi's facial expression changed to a mixture of confusion and excitement. "Uh, y-yes, I love them!" He said a bit joyously, still utterly confused at the question.

"Good," Atem said, his smile growing a bit broader. Then he looked at Bakura, who was still chuckling slightly, but his flat brown eyes glinted red, for he knew what was about to happen.

"Because we're about to play one."


	7. Ryou's here, shouldn't we begin?

**DISCLAIMER**

_Midnightscreamer_ doesn't own _Yugioh_ and all the characters belong to whom the original creater is. Blah, blah, blah. Enjoy.

* * *

Bakura's eyebrows rose as an amused expression grew on his face. He had heard what Atem had said, and didn't plan on hiding it.

Yugi side-glanced at Atem, making sure to keep Bakura in the corner of his eye so he knew where he was. Who knew what he was capable of?

"A game you say, Prince?" Bakura said slyly.

Atem kept his eyes on Bakura as he jumped off the table, walking over to stand next to Yugi. He kept his face guarded; not letting Bakura read his emotions.

Yugi bit his lower lip. Bakura looked confident, _too_ confident. That wasn't good. He had a feeling that Bakura wasn't going to be "easy competition." Yugi usually wasn't fearful of tough components...just Bakura.

Atem, for the first time, was actually smiling. It wasn't the confident smirk he had on earlier. He looked..._happy. _Joyful even. Yugi had not expected Atem to show a smile. Come to think of it, nothing had turned out as Yugi had expected.

"Yes, a game." Atem said, looking down so his golden bangs covered his eyes. "But, not just any kind of game."

A chill went down Yugi's spine. His stomach twisted in ways he didn't know were possible. He felt like this wasn't going to end well. He wondered where Atem was going with this. His mind buzzed with a million questions. What did Atem consider not to be an ordinary game?

Bakura smiled. "Are you talking about a _Shadow Game_?" The thief chuckled. "Who knew Prince had the guts for a Shadow Game?" Bakura laughed louder. Yugi couldn't decide whether the man was crazy, or just plain weird.

Atem lifted his head, his crimson eyes looking serious and business-like, but not aggressive. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Yes, a Shadow Game," he began. "We win, you give back my puzzle and the notebook."

Yugi gasped, unable to conceal his shock. Bakura had taken the notebook _as well_? A sudden realisation came to him. That was the reason Atem hadn't replied with the address!

Bakura reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden object. It was the puzzle they kept referring to, a golden, upside-down pyramid about the size of an adult male's fist. Yugi blinked. He had never seen a puzzle so complex. Just by looking at it, it seemed extremely hard to solve. Only now did he realize that it had more on it. The puzzle also bared an eye in the center. Yugi guessed it was the Eye of Udjat, but then second-guessed himself. It looked different from the eye in textbooks.

Bakura held up the pyramid by the tips of three fingers. The gold sparkled lightly from the sunshine streaming through the glass window. He examined it, pretending to scrutinize every detail, studying every aspect and marking on Atem's treasure. The unpleasant leer returned to his face as he slowly glanced back up at Atem.

"Of course Prince, but if thou shall lose..." He threw the puzzle up into the air. "Your soul will forever remain in the Shadow Realm...as well as the boy's." Bakura tilted his head towards Yugi as he caught the golden shape in his hand. "And of course you know what that means Prince," his smirk widened. "I get the notebook_ and _your puzzle."

Yugi gulped. Forever was a long time.

Atem's expression changed to one of worry, no longer calm and relaxed. He gave Yugi a very uneasy stare. Yugi didn't know what to say. He was so confused. What was so important about a stupid notebook…other than its unique ability?

Yugi, after struggling with words to say, found the courage to speak. "W-what's a S-Shadow Game?" His voice shook uneasily.

Bakura's right eyebrow rose, giving his overall expression an edge of dark malevolence. Atem stared at Yugi and weakly mumbled, "You don't know what a Shadow Game is?"

Yugi shook his head, feeling guilty at failing Atem once again.

Bakura laughed. "This is perfect, Prince! Your little…what was it? _Aibou?_" He cackled at the name. "Doesn't even know what a Shadow Game is!"

Yugi frowned harder even though there was truth behind Bakura's words.

Atem explained to Yugi as simply as he could what a Shadow Game was. Bakura every now and then added his two cents, explaining the darker natures of the Shadow Game in fuller detail then Atem would have liked. Yugi got more terrified by the minute; the pressure was on.

"So why is the notebook so important then, Atem?" Yugi said, turning his body all the way towards his "twin."

Atem looked at Yugi; the gaze wasn't unkind. It took a second for Atem to give Yugi a reply. "If one is to write in both notebooks...the light and darkness in the world will collide." Atem glared up at Bakura. "He has already written in my notebook. That's why yours did…that." He indicated the bloodied book in Yugi's hands.

Yugi's eyes widened in shock as he clutched to book closer to his chest. One minute he was living a normal life then…BANG, supernatural and magic stuff start entering into it. If Bakura already wrote in Atem's book, the stakes were even higher. If he would fail...

He shook his head, wishing not to finish that thought.

"Let's play a game of hide and seek. You hide the notebook in this house, and Yugi and I shall seek it," Atem said, crossing his arms. "It seems only fit that that works."

Bakura's face was grim. "Now, now, Prince. That will be too easy for you!" His tongue traced over his teeth. "I have an idea though."

Atem cringed and tensed up. "And what would that idea be?"

Bakura shook his head. "Now, Prince, you shouldn't be so stressed! I hear it's bad for your health." He sighed and a wicked smile crossed his face. "It will still be a game of hide and seek… just not in your house."

Atem relaxed, but still kept his face guarded. "Where then? Surely not on the street."

The eye on the puzzle gleamed a tiny bit when Bakura lifted it up. "In here."

Atem began to laugh. "In my puzzle? That will be too easy!"

Bakura looked at Yugi, his lips upturning even wider. "But you will not be the one seeking..."

That sentence was followed by an uneasy silence. He had no idea what awaited him. Yugi blinked as his heart rate began to pick up speed. A little thumping noise, almost equivalent to Yugi's heartbeat, came from the room next to them. Yugi stole a glance at Bakura, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Luck just wasn't on his side today.

Bakura's red irises glinted as they moved back and forth. His eyes narrowed making him all the creepier. He turned to Yugi, taking a daring step forward. Atem also took a step forward, but Yugi held up his arm to stop him. He could do this by himself.

Bakura fiddled with an arrow, pricking his pointer finger on the sharp end, blood slowly began to appear on the metal. He closed his eyes and listened. Without opening his eyes, he said, "I see we have company..."

_Ryou! Stay back! Please don't come in!_

If only Ryou was telepathic.

"Sorry, Yugi, I couldn't find Atem, but I heard voices from-" He opened his eyes and stopped mid-sentence. His hands quickly shot up and concealed his mouth. "Wh-who are you?"

Ryou wasn't staring at Atem or Yugi, but Bakura instead. Now that they were standing side-by-side, the similarities stood out more than when Yugi had compared them from his memory. Instead of looking shocked or even surprised, Bakura smiled, but didn't answer the question.

"I see we have more players in our Shadow Game, Prince." Bakura crossed his arms, putting the arrow back in place before doing so.

Yugi looked at Atem. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or what, but it was hard to see a person standing only a few feet away. Yugi glanced at Bakura; it was also hard to see him. He felt dizzy and weak. The air thickened and it seemed to hold weight. Yugi felt his knees buckle a little and he began panting. An eerie darkness set into the felt himself slip away; his eyelids pushed their hardest to keep open, but couldn't withstand the weight.

He fell to the floor, resting his head on the ground, which smelt like Mr. Clean. He just had enough strength to look at Atem, who wore a worried look. He managed to get a quick glimpse of Bakura, whose mouth erupted into a smirk. "Game start!" was the last words Yugi heard before a dense blackness overcame his current vision.

* * *

"Yugi?" A voice asked. Yugi groaned and managed to open his lids. There was a boy. Wild locks of white streaming from the boys head. The first thing Yugi saw made his panic go to an all time high.

Bakura.

Yugi's eyes wandered down to the face. He expected to see red and purple irises, but instead got brown. A slow realization came. Yugi's heart began to slow down and thump at regular beat. It wasn't Bakura, it was Ryou. His friend.

Ryou sighed and wiped away the sweat from his hairline. "Thank goodness! I was so worried!" He mumbled as he sat down beside Yugi and let his head drop.

Since this was Ryou and not Bakura, Yugi couldn't help but to wonder: Where was the real thief…and where was Atem?

Only at this time did Yugi realize the location he and Ryou were at. Well, actually, he didn't know where they were, but one thing was for sure- they weren't in Atem's kitchen. They were in some sort of twisted maze by the looks of it. The possibilities of doors and stairwells seemed endless and unpredictable. Everything was made out of gold, but the precious metal was chipped and weathered.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Yugi said, quoting 'T_he Wizard Of Oz_.'. Ryou managed to smile at Yugi's joke.

"Yugi…where are we?" His friend asked from beside, his weak smile disapearing instantly.

"I think we're playing a Shadow Game...inside the puzzle..." Yugi observed.

"A Shadow what?"

"A Shadow Game."

"I don't like the sounds of that."

Yugi told Ryou about Shadow Games, excluding the gory details Bakura informed him, and how they were currently playing one. He also told Ryou who Bakura and Atem were and that Bakura was wagering the puzzle and the two notebooks.

"So you think we're in that weird shaped pyramid thingy Bakura was holding?" Ryou inquired.

Yugi nodded his head sadly. "Yeah."

"So, that's why I feel like all the energy is being sucked out of me." Ryou said breathily.

"According to Bakura, it's harder for us to hold energy here." Yugi felt like he has just finished running a marathon. That last sentence was hard to say.

"Finally, Sleeping Beauty has awakened." A voice chanted.

Yugi looked up, only to see more doors and stairs. He wondered where the voice was coming from. It was clearly echoing, so it would be nearly impossible to decipher where the original sound started.

"Welcome to our little Shadow Game." The same dark voice spoke.

Yugi gulped. The voice belonged to Bakura. He would know it from anywhere since each time he spoke chills went up his spine.

"I have hidden the notebook somewhere in this maze." A fit of laughter came after his sentence. "If you manage to find it, you'll be free as a canary. Give up, and your souls, as well as Prince's, will be _mine_."

Yugi listened for more, but nothing followed that. Ryou glanced at him, doubt visible in his eyes. Yugi returned the glance, but his were filled with hope.

"What should we do?" Ryou asked, standing up and brushing himself off. Yugi looked around.

"It would help if we had something that could help us know where we've been," he answered.

Ryou smiled and shoved a hand into his jean pockets. He pulled out some crackers in a Ziploc baggie. The crackers were reduced to halves, and some were even close to quarters. It looked like they had seen better days. Yugi blinked and immediately thought of Hansel and Gretel.

_You've got to be kidding__, _he thought.

"I didn't finish my lunch today." Ryou offered. He began to squish the baggie, making the bigger pieces disappear. "So we're in luck." He held up the plastic sealed bag triumphantly and reached in. He grabbed a pinch of crumbs and began to sprinkle a little bit on the ground. Yugi stared down at it. This is what they were relying on. Some cracker crumbs.

"Ryou I don't think that will work." Yugi looked at his friend. "Sorry."

The boy frowned and sighed. "It was worth a shot. I suppose your right though. Any other ideas?"

Yugi exhaled noisily. "Maybe we could leave the doors open?"

Ryou thought for a second, then replied with, "How will we know what stairwells we've been on?"

This was harder than Yugi expected! A game of hide and seek was usually easy and simple. A S_hadow __G__ame _of hide and seek...eh, not so much.

Then something dawned on Yugi. He had a Sharpie! Why hadn't he thought of that before?

"Ryou! I have a Sharpie! I can just write on the doors!" He demonstrated on the floor, drawing a black smiley face on the ground.

The white haired boy's mood lightened almost instantly as the words came from Yugi's mouth. Ryou grinned.

"What are we waiting for then?" He asked. "Let's find that notebook and get out of here!"

The two boys grinned and took off down the hallway, dearly hoping that the notebook was within their sights.


	8. Realization!

"Ryou...wait up...you know... I have short legs..."

Within mere minutes, Yugi felt like the life in him was quickly fading away. Sticky wet sweat clung to his forehead, Yugi's arm strained to wipe it off. His heart pounded an unsteady beat, and it wasn't a rhythm he was used to. He didn't know how much longer he could last. About a meter ahead of him Ryou stopped. His groomed white locks were now a knotty frizzy mess, Yugi couldn't imagine what his head of hair looked like.

Up ahead Ryou was also panting, but it was in a more controlled motion. Yugi felt like he was giving up by stopping, even though he just needed to catch his breath.

So many stairs, doors and hallways.

Yugi thought to himself, taking another look around him. He felt his sanity disappearing every second he spent in _The Shadow Realm._

His hand barely gripped the black sharpie, any lighter of a grasp and the marker would surely drop toward the ground and Yugi most certainly didn't want to pick it up. He simply didn't have the strength to.

Ryou and himself hadn't even covered half of the corridors. It would take them forever to reach even seventy five percent of them. Yugi ran this fingers through his golden bangs, he hated when they stuck to his forehead. His legs cried "SIT DOWN" well his heart screamed "KEEP GOING", he felt it necessary to listen to his heart but before he could stop himself, Yugi's muscles began to move into the sitting position.

As his gluteus maximise came in contact with the worn ground, his feet tingled with delight, thanking him. Ryou came over and kneeled by Yugi's side.

"Yugi, we don't have time-" Ryou tried, sounding out of breath.

"I know, but my feet are killing me..." Yugi replied, rubbing his soles. He felt the need to take off his white runners, but he resisted. Ryou was looking around, scanning the vast area, unravelling it with his eyes. Perhaps he would find the notebook.

"I see you have not yet given up," A deep echoed voice said (Yugi felt himself jump, he had not expected the interruption). "Please. Don't strain yourselves..."

"Atem!" Yugi cried, looking around, as if Atem would appear right before his eyes. He wished the mighty prince was here. He would know what to do, it would be nice to have someone strong helping them. No offence to his friend Ryou of course, but when it came to 'manliness', Atem or Joey would have been Yugi's pick.

"Yes, Yugi. Listen, I'm here to help you..." Atem said, his voice still bouncing off the golden walls. "The notebook is at the culmination of the pyramid! You must hurry!"

Yugi blinked, having not a single clue what the word 'culmination' meant. He was never good at vocabulary. For as long as he remembered his Grandpa always wanted him to win a spelling bee (that and be the king of games, but as if THAT was ever going to happen, the short teen could barely spell). Every year at regional's, Yugi was always the first one out. That was the end of that dream. Sorry, Gramps. A sudden ache in Yugi's heart came about. Yugi hadn't even thought about his Grandpa when excepting this Shadow Game. What would happen if him and Ryou lost?

No.

They would prevent their - and Atem's- souls being devoured by the hungry shadow beasts that dwelled in the darkest areas of The Shadow Realm.

Yugi would see his grandpa again.

They. Would. Win.

Jumping back into reality, He shared a glance with Ryou who looked confused as well.

"Atem, what does-"

Yugi's eyes widened at the sound of a shrill scream. It was recognized to be the voice of Prince. Never had Yugi or Ryou heard of anything more terrible in there lives.

"HAHA!" A harsher voice cackled.

Bakura.

Yugi's heart pounded against his ribs. How could he be happy one moment and completely angry the next? Bakura said nothing else. Yugi bit his bottom lip, in melancholy.

"Ryou, do you know what culmination means?" Yugi asked, crossing his fingers.

Ryou tapped his index finger against his chin, deep in thought. After about thirty seconds of hard brain power mode, Ryou responded.

"Atem said '_The notebook is at the culmination of the pyramid!' _Correct?_"_

Yugi nodded.

"Currently, I believe we're in the 'middle' of the pyramid, so I don't think that's what the culmination is." Ryou said, sighing. "The reason for that is because he said _'You must hurry!' _and I don't think we would need to hurry to much if we were near the notebook. Does that make sense?"

"Yes." Yugi said, his brain making understanding of Ryou's sentences.

"I am cutting the puzzle into three parts. Beginning middle and end." Ryou explained, holding up three fingers and showing them to his friend. "It's not the 'middle' part, we already concluded that. It can't be the beginning, because we already checked there." Two of Ryou's fingers dropped to his palm. "That means..." Ryou said leaving one finger raised.

Yugi gasped, as a sudden realization hit him. "The end,"

"Yes, the point." Ryou nodded.

Yugi shook his head. "That's not right. The puzzle is upside down, so won't it be the base we're trying to get to?"

Ryou laughed. "It's funny how you say that, because that's what I had thought at first too, but Atem didn't say the puzzle...he said pyramid and since you enter through the base, the 'end' of the pyramid would be..."

"The point." Yugi said.

"Exactly."


	9. What's that noise?

Yugi's hand floated up to his heavy eyelids, feeling more exhausted than ever. Hoping Ryou's theory was right, Yugi forced his legs to keep moving. Surely his strength couldn't hold up for more than a couple more hours.

An eerie darkness snuck over the two boys, shadowing the whole hallway ahead. All the torches which gave them light in the maze had been extinguished from this specific hallway. It was impossible to see more than a few pity inches ahead. Ryou stopped, looking straight into the corridor. A small shudder -barely noticeable- scurried it's way up Ryou's spine.

"Yugi," Ryou's distinctive British accent came. "You should...come here..."

"Did you find it?" Yugi gaped. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he sprinted towards his friend. Yugi's heart beat pounded in his ears, but he ignored it. He stopped running so he was on the edge of blackness and looked at Ryou.

"Well?" Yugi asked breathless from the run. He peered around, even though it was pointless to even try to see beyond the vast shadow.

Ryou gulped. "I-I didn't find the notebook..."

"What, then?" Yugi said, attitude flourished in his speech. The Shadow Game had taken away all of his patience. Ryou was slightly shocked from Yugi's attitude, he didn't even know Yugi was capable of being mean. It was the exact opposite of what everyone thought Mr. Motou's personality was like.

Getting over his surprise, Ryou held out a thin pale finger in front of him, his hand began to shake as Yugi saw a pair of ruby red orbs glimmering in the blackness. Was that what Ryou was talking about?  
The so called lights disappeared for a quick second but then returned in a different place. This pattern repeated 5 times before Yugi had caught on that something was up.

"Wha-?" Yugi tried, unable to complete the word.

_Boom, boom, boom._

Heavy footsteps were heard on the old concrete floor. Something was emerging from the dark! What could it be?

_Boom._

The figure had stopped. The red lights appeared once again, as bright and as brilliant as ever.

_Raaaaaaaa!_

Yugi's ears perked. He knew that cry. That growl. It was very familiar...he heard it everytime this kid at school- Seto Kiba -played a card game called duel monsters...

Ryou knew it as well, it wasn't that hard to figure out what it was. Even an amateur duelist would've known...

"Is that-?" Ryou asked, even though he had a pretty good idea.

"It can't be..." Yugi said, realizing how stupid the idea sounded. "It's probably just Bakura trying to scare us..."

Ryou bit his lower lip looking at the ground. He let a shallow gasp escape his mouth as a giant blueish-white claw appeared out of the dark hallway.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Roared the creature, sparked with rage.

Yugi and Ryou began to back away, fearing for their lives once again. The creature took another step so the light reflected off it's giant blue talon spiked wings. There was absolutely no mistaking it.

In front of the two boys stood the one and only Blue- Eyes White Dragon.

Ryou looked the dragon in the eye, expecting to see (as the name suggested) blue eyes. Instead of seeing the usual ocean blue iris, Ryou saw a bloody red one. It was as if the dragon was in pain.

"How is this possible?" Yugi shouted over another loud growl from the beast.

"My guess is as good as yours." Ryou yelled back.

The dragon took another heavy step towards the pair. Yugi felt himself shake, never had he been as scared as he was now. Duel monsters were real?

As his shivers came more controlled, Yugi's eyes landed on the dragon's left claw web.

A black rectangle was pinched in-between the dragon's claws. Yugi's eyebrows flew up. This seriously couldn't be happening, Yugi now believed anything was possible in the Shadow Realm. The notebook him and Ryou had come all this way for was stuck in a Blue Eyes White Dragons claw. They had found it...now how the heck were they supposed to get it?

**_What do you want? _**

Yugi looked around, swearing he had heard a voice. It was low and stern, with a gruff sense to it. The voice hadn't really been said out-loud. It seemed like it was someone inside his brain.

"Who said that?" Yugi said, still peering around him.

**_It is I, you impulsive idiot. The Dragon._**

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Blue-eyes screeched. Ryou looked over at Yugi asking with his eyes if he had heard the voice too. Yugi returned his eye contact fearfully telling him he had.

"How are you...communicating with us?" Yugi questioned, still backing away.

The giant dragon snickered and lightly flapped it's wings twice. **_We're in the Land of the Shadows, anything is possible, human._**

Yugi thought for a second and accepted the answer Blue-Eyes gave him. Who would've doubted anything after what they had been though? He stared at the black cased notebook, as did Ryou. None of them said anything for a couple of seconds. The dragon must've noticed because he broke the silence.

**_If you want this stupid human object, _**The Dragon motioned to the black notebook.**_ You must prove you are worthy of it..._**

"And how do we do that?" Ryou asked shakily feeling a burst of courage within. He looked up, his head tilted as far vertical as his neck would allow.

**_3 riddles. This article isn't very big, so you don't need to do anything too hard. Time ends when that candle over there burns out._**

Yugi and Ryou turned and looked over their shoulders, seeing a white candle about 7 inches high. That wouldn't give them very long.

Yugi and Ryou shared another glance. What if they didn't get it? What if they got it wrong? What if...? Yugi shook his head.

_No. _

_Stop._

It wasn't the time to act like a baby. They needed to be heroes...the fate of Earth depended on it.

"Okay..?" Yugi gulped. His voice went higher at the end, making it sound like a question.

**_Ready? Let's begin!_**

The white candle magically lit and caused Yugi to jump back.

**_When you have me, you feel like sharing me. But, if you share me, you won't have me. What am I? _**

Yugi and Ryou blinked, feeling the pressure. This game was _so_ on.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! I really wanted to update before I go on vacation! Can YOU figure out the riddle? Good luck! :D **

**Review if you know!**


	10. Riddles

Ryou shrugged. "I don't have a clue...maybe money?"

Yugi blinked. "Uh….I guess, but do people always want to share it?"

Ryou snickered. "I guess not."

The Blue Eyes White Dragon was staring at them intensely. His claret eyes narrowed. Watching Yugi and Ryou's every movement was actually quite intriguing. In his usual state (in a stone tablet or card), this particular dragon didn't really have an interest in watching humans. Right now though, when they were hard at work, pushing their brain cells to the limit, it was actually quite entertaining!

The cursed human notebook was digging into his claw, making his leg burn like hell. He could stand the pain for two more riddles though. He had a feeling it would be worth his suffering.

Blue-Eyes knew that they would get this riddle. It wasn't supposed to be THAT difficult. In fact, he given them his easiest riddle first.

_**Do you have an answer, pathetic humans? **_He asked, pretending to sound bored.

Yugi jumped at the sound of the Dragon's voice, as it echoed through his mind. It made him feel (even more) dizzy and caused him to have a headache.

Yugi looked at Ryou who shrugged again.

"We need more time!" Ryou said, obnoxiously. He glancing at Yugi every few seconds, as if he'd disappear in a blink of an eye.

Blue-eyes snorted. **_Just answer before the wax runs out…morons._**

Yugi was pretty sure they weren't supposed to hear that last part.

Ryou opened his mouth to say something but then thought better of it. He really didn't want to get Blue-eyes mad. Ryou's coffee coloured irises gleamed in the candle light as it flickered from an unknown source of wind.

Wait a minute, _wind_?

How was wind blowing the candle? They were in a completely enclosed space…..right?

Yugi decided to ponder the question later, he had bigger things to worry about other than a little breeze.

_I think I have an answer._Yugi mouthed.

Ryou sighed. _Go for it._

Yugi took a ponderous gait forward, feeling awkward.

"A..." He stuttered, beginning to tremble. He felt like he was going to pee his pants. "…secret?"

Blue-Eyes Dragon roared (hopefully in delight). **_Correct! Are you ready for the next one? _**The dragon asked, as if anxious to move onto the new question.

Ryou gaped. "H-how did you know that?"

Yugi grinned and rubbed the back of his head, as a pink crossed his cheeks. "I saw it on the back of a bubble-gum wrapper."

Ryou's eyes opened wide. Yugi had just placed the fate of the world on a bloody bubble-gum wrapper. A BUBBLE GUM WRAPPER! Only someone foolish would do that! What a guy...

Yugi grinned, being his old optimistic self again. "At least I got it right."

Ryou faced palmed and groaned. He turned back to the huge duel monster and gulped.

"Er." Ryou squeaked, scared silly. "Ready."

**_Here we go, listen carefully. _**Blue Eyes spoke. **_I'm only one colour, but not one size. I cannot talk, though I have tried. Present in the sun, but not in the rain. Doing no harm and feeling no pain. What am I?_**

"Feeling no pain?" Yugi said. "What feels no pain?"

Ryou sighed. "A lot of things feel pain." He stated.

Blue- eyes roared. **_The second riddle has begun! The candle has been lit! Good luck you foolish mortals!_**

"Yeah," Ryou muttered. "Good luck to us."

* * *

**Do YOU know what the riddle is? Review to answer ^^**


	11. Riddles x2

**SUPER AWESOME CHOCOLATEY COATED MEGA SEXY ULTRA TRANSFORMATION UPDATE G_OOOOOOOOO_! *cough* Yu-gi-oh! abridged reference *cough***

* * *

"A shadow?"

**_Correct, humans! _**Blue-eyes roared with glee.

Yugi sighed, happy to be done with that.

"Have any bubblegum wrappers to tell you that?" Ryou asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yugi looked down as if to admire his sneakers. "Well..." Ryou face palmed and groaned, as Yugi laughed and said, "Just kidding!"

A dark grey fog had slowly appeared around them, but the two boys hadn't noticed since they were laughing and fooling around. Blue-eyes, unlike Yugi and Ryou, had noticed almost right away. He narrowed his eyes and looked around for the source.

"Are you going to tell us the next riddle?" Ryou said, giving one last chuckle.

Blue-eyes rolled his eyes. _**Patience is a virtue, but very well, I guess you deserve to hear it...**_

Yugi began to roll his shoulders, he was ready for this one. No matter what the dragon through at them, he was sure they could answer.

Blue-Eyes cleared his throat and spoke.

**What is greater than God? ****More evil the the Devil? ****And if you eat this you will die?**

* * *

"_WHAT?_ This cannot be!" A man shrieked as he paced the perimeter of the room.

He curled up his fist and gritted his teeth. The mans sharp nails dug in to the palm of his hand, making a crescent moon shape in his flesh. An angry sneer- which the man wore often- was visible on his face. His back was arched, as he stared at a screen which showed a giant blue creature with two people standing before it.

He was standing in a room made out of bricks that had chips and scratches on them. It was dark and eerie, just the way he liked it. Spiders hung from above, content in their webs, not daring to come any closer. The only light provided was from the mid-evil torches that clung to the wall and the screen in which had caused the man to go off like a flare.

Suddenly the man looked behind him, he sensed movement.

Over his shoulder, a figure of a human male tied in a chairs silhouette showed. He appeared to be lifeless, except for his stomach rising and falling.

"No luck?" A snicker came from the human, still seeming lifeless. "Are they succeeding?"

"Shut up!" The first man exploded, throwing his skinny arms up. He then began to cover his ears and scream. "SHUT UP!"

Atem - the man who was tied to the chair - began to laugh, but flinched. Cuts and bruises surrounded every inch of skin that was visible. Everything either hurt or ached. He didn't know how long it had been since he had contacted his...well, friend; Yugi. For all he knew it could've been a month ago.

When Bakura - the man with anger management issues- stopped screaming, he turned his back to Atem and glared at the screen, muttering something Atem wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

"What's wrong?" Atem said, trying to pry Bakura away from the screen. "Going to cry for your mommy?"

Bakura's jaw locked as he held back a curse. _I will not **yet** kill the prince... I will not **yet** kill the prince..._

Bakura looked to his right and grabbed a bottle containing an unknown liquid. He sighed and gulped down the substance.

A few minutes of silence past.

Atem raised an eyebrow as Bakura's head dropped. Bakura's wild white hair looked even wilder as he turned around with a forced smile on his face. Atem felt fear surge through his body. Frowning Bakura meant trouble...Smiling Bakura was probably twice as bad.

"HAHAHA!" Bakura laughed, looking up to the heavens. Pyscotic vibes radiated around him.

Atem groaned at the horrible sound. He wondered what was going through his enemies head right now. It was acting so out of character... What was he up to?

"What are you doing?" Atem finally said.

Bakura looked offended and shook his head then proceeded to grabbed his bow. "Nothing, why do I always have to be up to something?"

"Because you just are." Atem answered smartly. "What's going on?"

Bakura put his index finger to his lips as if to make a '_shhh_' signal.

"Huh? What the-" Atem asked but midway through Bakura gave him a good hard hit on the back of his head with his bow. Atem's eyes began to blur as he saw Bakura laughing.

That was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

* * *

**You know the answer to the mystical riddle? Review and tell me whatcha think! **


	12. Riddles x3

Yugi sighed. "I got nothing."

Ryou shook his head. "There has to be _something!_"

Yugi frowned. "Not that I can think of."

Ryou crossed his arms and thumped on the floor in a cross-legged position. Fighting about that matter was going to get them absolutely nowhere! In fact, it just tired him out more, he was wasting precious energy on some dumb riddle Yugi and him couldn't figure out.

Yugi looked over at Ryou, a wave of depression hitting him. His friend's white hair wasn't a very pretty sight to look at. He should've been able to come up with some theory... something, _anything,_ but instead his brain drew a blank.

Ryou's head dropped. He felt his energy slipping away faster than it had before. Weird.

_**You have come so far. Why are you giving up? **_Ryou heard Blue-eyes speak.

Yugi looked up at the fierce dragon. "We aren't giving up. We're just...well, resting..." He spoke awkwardly.

Blue-eyes studied them carefully, reading their every facial expression then said, **_You do not have much longer; look._**

Ryou forced himself to glaze in the direction of the candle. The burning flame had eaten more than ninety percent of the white wax. This was the final stage for the candle. It had been burning too long. Within mere minutes it would dim and then after that it would die and then they would be out of luck.

Yugi was still looking at Ryou. "Well?" He asked, barely audible. His hope was as big as his voice.

Ryou shut his eyes tight and thought.

What was _greater_ than god?...What was_ more_ evil than the Devil?...AND If you ate it, you would die?...

_"I got nothing."__Yugi's voice bounced around in Ryou's mind._

_Nothing_...NOTHING!

That was it!

"Yugi!" Ryou shouted, as he jumped up into the air with new found energy. "I got it!"

Yugi shuddered at the burst of excitement. "What?"

Ryou walked over to Blue-eyes and smiled. "The answer is," He took in a breath. "Nothing."

Now it was Yugi's turn for his jaw to drop. _Nothing? That was the answer? It couldn't be... How was something so simple the answer?_

Blue-eyes raised his...eyebrows? and roared extra loud, making the air reek of Kuriboh. Could that have been his last meal? Yugi pushed the thought of a poor innocent Kuriboh getting eaten from his mind. It stepped up where Ryou was and smiled.

**_Perhaps you aren't as dumb as I first anticipated. Well done. Here is your prize. _**Blue-eyes moved his foot forward and Yugi gingerly took the black notebook.

_**Farewell. I will meet you again. Good luck with Bakura. **_Blue-eyes spoke, in a booming voice. Yugi was about to ask on how the dragon knew about Bakura, but then stopped himself.

Everything was still as Blue-eyes disapeared into the darkness. Maybe it was just Yugi's imagination, but he was sure the dragon had a smile on his face when Ryou had answered correctly. Yugi signalled to his friend that they should probably head into the dark since they had come from the other way. Ryou slowly nodded and walked forward. He clasped Yugi's hand as they went farther into the darkness. Yugi felt that stupid breeze again, although this one was much stronger.

"Do you feel that?" Yugi asked, voice shaky suddenly worried.

"Yeah," Ryou gulped, feeling a blind.

"Where do you think it's coming from?"

"I don't know, but I think I see something up ahead." Ryou unhooked his hand from Yugi's and wandered off somewhere. Yugi heard footsteps and then they stopped.

"I think I found some-THHHIIIIINNNNGGGG!" Ryou's voice was heard echoing as if he was going down a slide. Yugi's eyes widened as he took a couple of steps forward.

"RYOU!" Yugi shouted. No answer. "RYOU!"

He took five more steps but before he could call out to his friend again, he felt himself falling too. Then he heard screaming, then realized it was himself.


	13. Atem?

"Ugh!" Yugi groaned, landing on something hard. He began to rub his back because hurt like hell. That was not something he wanted to repeat. Slowly, Yugi got up and brushed himself off. He stared up at where the slide should have been, but instead just saw roof.

"Yugi!" Atem said, suddenly beside him.

"Atem?" Yugi asked shocked, only now realizing where he was.

They were back in Atem's kitchen, as if the Shadow game hadn't happened. Yugi could also feel his strength coming back to him. It no longer felt as though he were carrying bags of potatoes. Sighing in relief, Yugi relaxed. He then froze, realizing something else.

"Where's Ryou?"

Atem paused, as if unsure of something. He cautiously looked behind him and scanned the area. "I have not a clue."

"What about Bakura?" Yugi asked, still weary.

"I...dealt with him." Atem replied, giving a evil smile. Yugi felt his heart began to beat faster and not in a good way.

Atem's purple irises glimmered, reflecting the light that was shinning through the sink window. Yugi's eyes narrowed. They had to have been in there for at more than three hours. How could the sun could still be shinning?

Atem must've seen his facial expression and simply said. "Time freezes in my puzzle."

Yugi nodded, still feeling some what scared.

The Prince wandered over to the front his couch, where his Father should have been laying. Yugi gulped, scared to follow Atem. He dared to look down, expecting a corpse, but surprisingly Atem's dad wasn't there...and neither was the pool of blood. Atem didn't seemed surprised. Nor did he seem to care.

_What cleaning detergent was that? I got to get me some!_ _I bet it was Mr. Clean..._Yugi joked in his mind, trying to lighten his mood.

Atem looked out the window, facing away from Yugi. He appeared frozen. Yugi slowly walked towards him, saying nothing. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Yugi..." Atem murmured. He turned to face the young teen, making eye contact. His eyes had turned to a crimson red, full of hate. Yugi gasped, eyes wide.

Before Yugi could get a word out, Atem had thrown a punch at Yugi's face. It almost immediately began to hurt. By reflex, Yugi's hand shot up to his face, which felt numb and raw. He began to feel dizzy and faint-like.

Yugi turned to where Atem was, but instead saw Bakura laughing menacingly.

"I can't believe you fell for the old switch-a-rho!" Bakura's voice sounded far away and distant. "You should have seen the look on your face! Absolutely, priceless!"

Yugi mustered all his strength and got up. He returned Bakuras punch by kicking him in the balls. Hard. The shock was clear on Bakura's face, who fell down and curled up in the fetal position. It was easy to tell he wasn't expecting that.

A feeling of urgency filled Yugi's stomach. It told him to go to the door 'fake Atem' was looking at earlier. Yugi obeyed the feeling. He waddled over to open it, feeling confused.

Inside, Atem and Ryou were tied together with ropes and silenced with cloth.

Atem looked terrible; dried blood and cuts outlined the frame of his narrow face. Bruises on his mouth and eye were purple. Dirt was sprinkled on his face and hair. What a handsome prince he was...but on the other hand, Yugi probably looked terrible too.

"UWWW! Kkkelp! Uggehhh!" They both cried, making no sense.

Yugi untied the mouth cloths and then began on the ropes. He was glad they weren't tied as tight as possible. He got them out, and dropped his head with relief.

"How did you get in here?" He asked.

"Got dropped off from that slide, then Bakura found me and demanded the notebook... but I told him you had it." Ryou replied, rubbing his wrists.

"I don't have it though!" Yugi protested, having a mini-heart attack.

Ryou pulled it out from his waist-band, smiling. He held it out to Atem, who took it reluctantly.

"How did he...transform into Atem?" Yugi questioned, pondering the thought.

"A special dark arts potion." The (hopefully) real Atem replied. "Once you take it, you begin to act drunk. That's just how the magic works. Unfortunately for me, Bakura likes to hurt people more than usual when he's in that state."

Yugi looked over to where he had last seen the white-haired man, but he had vanished. "He isn't dead."

Atem solemnly nodded. "No, only weakened." He focused his glaze on the notebooks. "Sometimes I think these notebooks are more trouble than their worth!"

"I can't believe this... we made it!" Ryou spoke up.

"I had faith and both of you were very brave. " The young Prince said, bowing. "Thank you. I shall ever be in your debt."

"It was fun...sorta." Yugi laughed but it sounded like something was dying, so he stopped. He felt his headache resurfacing.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Atem asked, bowing to them. "Anything at all?"

"Become our friend." Yugi said, holding out his hand. Ryou held out his too. Atem, who was still smiling, took them. " Our friendship will then last forever."

"Forever." Atem agreed.

That was the last thing Yugi heard before he passed out.

* * *

**Check out my other story that i'm co****-writting with YoungBountyGirl **? (.net/u/1083434/Youngbountygirl) 

**"Shippings that don't work out." (.net/s/6986621/1/Shippings_That_Dont_Work_Out)**

***shameless advertising FTW***


	14. The Black Notebook

**Hey there! Welcome to the final chapter of TBN *starts crying*...**

***sniffs* I seriously hope you guys liked (if not LOVED) this fic :) Hurray for completing my very FIRST story! WOOOOO! YAYAYA! YIPEEEE AHHHH-*has random crazy moment***

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"ATEM!" Yugi cried sitting up straight. He felt his heart beating fast in his chest. His lungs begged for air as his sweat glands worked overtime. What _happened_?

Yugi looked around him. For he was no longer in Atem's kitchen, but in a bedroom. _His _bedroom!.?

"Atem?" A man beside him said, scratching his head in curiosity. Wrinkles of age and emotion surrounded his face. The mans eyes were wide, questioning Yugi's first word. Thick, bushy, grey eyebrows tilted inward as confusion took over his mouth. Thin greying hair stuck out from under his yellow bandana. This could only be one man...

"Grandpa!" Yugi shouted, throwing his arms up and hugging the old male. His felt his muscles tense, but ignored it. "Your home!"

The man chuckled cheerfully and brightened at his grandsons embrace. "I came home as soon as I heard."

Yugi froze.

He let go and tilted his head. "Heard what?"

"About your fall, of course!"

Yugi reached up to scratch his head, but flinched at the sudden pain. He felt a big bump on the right side of his forehead. What was this what his grandpa was talking about?

"My...fall." Yugi said being the confused one now. "When?"

Yugi's Grandpa put a index finger on his chin and looked up, thinking. He sighed and then shrugged. "About a day ago...um, let's see...Friday? Yes. Your friend,_ Rya_? No, _Ryou_? Yes that's it, saw you calling his name and then, well running through the mud, you fell."

Yugi gasped. "But...I didn't-"

Grandpa patted his shoulder, making Yugi's vocal cords grow weak. "It happens to the best of us, M'boy. What happens, happens."

Yugi looked down and fiddled with his comforter, unsure if he could look into the old mans eyes. "Then...all that happened was...a dream?"

"All that happened?" His Grandpa repeated, staring his grandson. "Hmm?"

"O-Oh, uh, um, well...it's a l-long story..." Yugi stuttered, not knowing if he should speak a word of the tale. His Grandpa would think he was mad!

Grandpa suddenly got up from his chain and smiled warmly. "Speaking of all that's happened, I got you a present from my explorations!"

Yugi nodded a thank you (also happy to be done with that subject), and realised a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His Grandpa went out of the bedroom and then returned with a thinly wrapped present. He handed Yugi the gift and gave a giant toothy grin.

"They say it once belonged to a great Pharaoh."

Yugi looked up, finally ready to meet his Grandpa's eyes. "Really?"

His Grandpa nodded and yawned. He said he had a long night yesterday and needed sleep. He said goodnight and kissed Yugi on the forehead. When he finally exited the room, Yugi ripped open the wrapping paper. He always loved the gifts his Grandpa got him from his adventures! He absolutely couldn't wait to open it!

He quickly threw the paper away. Gasping Yugi stared at the gift with awe.

"It can't be..." Yugi muttered unbelieving the article right in front of him.

He was holding the black notebook!

_The _notebook he had retrieved from the bushes. _The _notebook Ryou and him had rescued from the Blue-eyes white dragon. _The _notebook that had gotten him into this big mess in the first place!

The words "My Journal" were still on the front cover, and nothing was written inside.

_Just like how I found it. _Yugi couldn't help to think. He turned to the last page, expecting to see an address, **_Atem's_** address, but there was nothing. He felt his heart sink a little.

Getting up from the bed Yugi went to his wooden desk to get a pen.

He grabbed the notebook and squeezed his eyes shut. He sighed, gripping then pen harder than usual.

_Atem?_ He wrote and waited for a reply.

* * *

**There it is! I'm finally done! **

**Hope you liked it. I know it isn't the best ending, but it was better than some of the (stupid) ideas I came up with. I hope I can move on to BIGGER and (hopefully, but probably not) BETTER things :)**

**Lastly, I would like to thank EVERYONE who favorited/ subscribed to me and/or the story. I'm even happy for the people who ****_clicked_**** on it xD (Also)Thank you all to those who have reviewed. I love you guys so much *hugs* YOU SERIOUSLY ROCK! And make my day! Would you care to make my day one last time *puppy dog eyes***

**Just a little update~**

**This A/N is purely to let people who have subscribed to this story and not to me as an authoress, that there IS A SEAQUEL!**

**That's really all I had to say, :) **

**XOXO**

**-midnightscreamer**

**( s/8556884/1/The-White-Parchment) - THE SEQUEL.**


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